Measuring grain device



May 11 1926. 1,584,571

T. DECKER MEASURING GRAIN DEVICE ATTORNEY T. DECKER MEASURINGrl GRAIN DEVICE May 11 1926.

3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Ma 6. 1925 May 11 1926.

T. DECKER MEASURING GRAIN DEVICE Filed May s. 1925 3 sheets-sheet 5 Patente-d May 1 1, 1926. lll." S'TES I rseisn Ariat erster..

THOMAS DECKER,OF GHATTANCOGA, OKLAHOMA.

MEASURING GRAIN' DEVICE.

Application filed May 6,

An object el my present invention is the provision of a device for automatically measuring and delivering grain from a. threshing machine as well as for weighing such grain.

A `further object is the provision in a device for this purpose o1 a swingable grain receiving hopper, divided by flexible plates into two compartments, the said hopper having its compartments provided with doors hinged in such a manner that one oithe doors is automatically closed when grain is to be delivered into the compartment and the oth r door likewise automatically opened when the hopper is swung by the weight ot the grain therein to deliver the grain from the first mentioned compartment and to bring the second mentioned compartment into grain receiving position.

A further object is the construction, in a device tor this purpose of a frame which is pivotally supported trom a` scale beam and which has pivotally secured thereto the lower end of a hopper which is divided, by flexible partitions into two compartments provided with doors which automatic-ally close when either of the hoppers is in grain receiving position and to open when in grain delivering position, means being provided for locking the hopper to the trame when one of the compartments thereof is in grain receiving position, said means being releasable upon the downward movement of the trame when the weight on the scale beams is counter-balanced, and whereby the hopper is continuously oscillated to bring its respective hoppers into grain receiving and into grain delivering positions, and also wherein Amea-ns is provided Jfor limiting the swinging ot the hopper to its said two positions.

still further object is the provision, in an automatic grain measuring and weighing apparatus, oit-'a reciprocatory hopper having flexible partitions thereindividing the same into two compartments, and doors for automatically closing one ot the compartments when in grain receiving position and to open the door ot the other compartment which is in grain delivering position, the partition being provided with an adjustable wiper board to prevent the ent-rance ot grain Jrom one into the other compartment, while means is provided tor expanding or contracting the flexible partitions to permit of the enlargement ctthe compartments when the grain in compartments is w ed,

1925. Serial N0. 28,460.

or when wet, and consequently heavier grain is delivered into the compartments.

lilith the above broadly stated objects in View and many others which will present themselves as the nature of the invention is better understood., reference is to be had to the drawings which accompany and which :torni part of this application.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of a threshing machine provided with the improvement, the latter being in section, the said section being taken approximately on the line 1-1 ot Figure 2.

Figure 2 is an enlarged sectional view on the line 2 2 oi" Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the improvement.

Figure l is a perspective view or" the ad- -justable wiper or cut-olli board.

ln Figure 1 of the drawings, the numeral 1 designates a portion ot the elevator of a threshing machine, the same being formed with an angularly disposed downwardly directed outlet spout end 2. On the sides of the spout 2 l secure brackets 3 having outwardly directed wedge-shaped pivots 4- that are received in wedge-shaped o nenings in the side member 5 of a scale beam 6. On the beam there is slidable weight 7. The sides 5 01"' the scale beam terminate in downwardly directed ends each provided with a wedge-shaped opening 8 that receive therethrough wedge-shaped studs 9 on the upper members 10 of frame. The side members 11 of the trame are rounded outwardly and downwardly and inwardly from the membersv 10, as indicated by the numeral 12. The arched arms et the heart-shaped sides merge into depending plates 13, which are connected together by a transverse brace 14. The plates 13 car 1y bearings for the shaft 15 of a hopper 16, that constitutes an important element of' the improvement. By reference to Figure 2 it willbe noted that the hopper' 16 is ot inverted bowl-shape and vthat its upper .end is provided with a somewhat reduced opening 17, the ends of the hopper being directed angularly to the said opening or mouth 1 7, as indicated by the numeral 18. The angle ends ot the mouth 17 are beaded, as at 19.

Directly below the outlet 2 ot the elevator et the threshing machine there is. fixed in the upper part of the ltr-aine the 'outlet end. et a spent 20. Tae spout has its month flared outwardly and its sides at its lower end flanged inwardly, as at 2l. Theseflanges 21 are in the path of contact with the flanges 18 at the mouth ot the hopper 1G so thatI the hopper contacting therewith will be limited in Swingin on its pivot shaft in two directions.

The hopper 16 is divided by flexible partitions 22 and 23 into compartments 21 and 25. The partitions are preferably in the nature of comparatively thin metal plates and frictionally engage with the inner side walls of the hopper. Between the partitions at the upper ends thereof there is secured a board 26, illustrated in detail in Figure 4t. The board is provided with spaced elongated slots through which binding elements 27 pass. The board 2G has its upper end formed with a head and the sides of the said head are beveled. The head 28 is disposed slightly out of contact with the concaved walls 2S) provided by the lower edges of the sides oi' the spout 20.

The compartments 211 and have their lower and outlet ends closed by pivotally connected flanged doors 30 and 31, respectively. The doors at their outer pivoted ends 32 and 33, respectively, have angularly eX- tending arms 34k and 35, respectively. These arms are pivotally connected to links 36 and 37, respectively, which are likewise pivoted to the lower arms of the frame.

As far as the description has gone, i', will be noted that when the hopper 1G is swung` to the position illustrated in Figure 2, the compartment 24 is in a position to receive the grain from the spout 2O and that the door 30 for the said compartment Bil is automatically moved to closed position. The board 26 has its head 28 disposed in line with one of the angle sides 21 of the spout 20. This brings the compartment 25 to grain delivering position and the door 31 therefor is automati cally swungto open position. Each of the compartments is of a size to hold a determined quantity of grain and such quantity will be delivered into the compartment 2t of the hopper. lhe grain in the said compartment, however, cannot be delivered therefrom as long as the door 9,() is held in closed position, but: it will be obvious that the weight. olf the grain in the said compartment is sutlicient to impart a swinging movement to the hopper 1G to bring the oompmtment. 24; into grain delivery position and the con'ipartnicnt' 25 into grain receiving` position. The means for holding' the hopper from inoven'lcnt when either of the con'ipartments therein is filled, comprises a roller 38 which is jonrnaled on a suitable bracket Si) on one side the elevator casing 1. This roller is in the path of contact with either of the angle ends 39 or LO on an arcuate rail i1 secured on one side of the hopper. rlhe angle ends of the rail are arranged cqiudistant from the renter of the mouth 1T of the hopper 16. ldlhcn the weight of the grain in the compartmentv 24 overbalances the scale beam 6, the bifurcated end thereof will swine* down- F0 wardly, permitting the trame, whieu carries the hopper, to move in the said ',lireetion. rJlhis brings the stop itatl C Si) of the rail i-1 below the roller. Vlhe w'ei'lit ot the grain will cause the swing-ineof the hopper on its pivot shaft 1.5 and will canse the door 30 to automatically open as preriouf-lly described so that the (ci/'rain from the compartment 2li will be delivered into a wagon or other receptacle 13. yihe swing-ing' of the hopper causes the ctn-ved rail A'ill to rido under the roller 53S until the shouldered stop end 4t() of the said rail 11 pas s beyond the roller. rihe weighted scale beam will now raise the frame and the hopper, lnsinehiey the compartment 25 into grain recel 'ingr position. As previously stated, the swing;- ingI of the hopper, incident to the connect elements and Sti will swing the door 3l to closed position. The doors open inwardly and being flanges serve as chutes in directing the grain into the receptacle fil-f3.

On one side, at the lower portion of the hopper 16, there is secured a qmidrantV t-'thaving pairs of spaced detents t5-*le and 46-46 thereon. Jonrnaled in suitable bea ings at the sides of the hopper between the partitions 22 and 2.3 there is a shaft el?. Cenu trally liXed on this shaft there is an arm 18. Pivoted to the ends ot the arm there are links 419 and 50 respectively. These links have their free ends pivoted to bracl-:ets 51 and 52, respectively, on the confronting faces of the partitions and 24;. fired on the shaft 4T there is a lever 5S havnigg a handle end The lever laterally moi.'- able so that the same may be received between the detents low-t8 on the quadrant: 44. lVhen swung between the detents ft, as disclosed in Figure 2 of the drawing` y the i links 4.() and 50 will draw the flexiblepartitions 22 and 23 toward each other to arch the same. This enlargcs the compartn'xents 2t and 25 which is desirable when la rgre quant ities of grain or when wet grain ,is to he weighed. .3y swinging the lever between the detents 46, the links 4t) and 5t) will erpand the partitions, bringing' tht` saine to the position illustrated by the dotted line-1y in Yllligure 2 of the drawings, thus rmlzruingj the. size of tht` compari ments.

rllhe simplicityY and ad vantagfes ot niv con-- .struction will, it is believed, he apparent from the. Iloregoin.;- description whenmtakfn in connection with the drawings. ln' thoriskilled in the art to which such inventions relate. it is, of course, to be in'ulerstood that do not wish to be limited to size, proportion, material employed, nor to the details of construction herein set forth and ltii iin

that I may make such changes therefrom as fairly fall within the scope of what I claim.

Having described the invention, I claim zl. In a device for the purpose set forth, a counter-balanced frame, a spout associated therewith, a hopper pivotally secured to the lower portion of the frame and having the end walls of its mouth contactable with the spout for limiting the swinging of the hopper, said hopper being divided into two compartments, a swingable door closing each of the compartments, means for locking the hopper on the frame to arrange one of its compartments in grain receiving position, and means for delivering grain into the hopper, means between the grain receiving door and the frame for opening the latter when the frame is moved downwardly by the weight of the grain in the said compartment and to release the holding means to permit of the swinging of the hopper to bring its second compartment into grain receiving position, and means between the door of the second compartment and the frame for closing and locking said door when its compartment is in grain receiving position.

2. In a device for the purpose set forth, a pivotally supported weight influenced frame, a spout carried thereby, a hopper central ly'pivoted to the lower portion of the frame, yieldable partitions in the hopper dividing the same into two compartments, a door for closing the outlet of each compartment and said hopper being limited in its swinging movement by the contacting engagement of the ends of the mouth thereof with the outlet mouth of the spout, means holding the hopper on the frame for retaining one of its compartments in grain receiving position, and means for delivering grain into said compartment, means between the door of the grain receiving compartment and the frame for closing and locking said door, means actuated by the downward movement of the hopper and frame incident to the weight of the grain in one of the compartments for releasing the door of the grain receiving compartment and by virtue of the weight of the grain in said compartment to swing the hopper to bring its second compartment into grain receiving position, means incident to the upward movement of the counter-balanced frame and hopper for holding the second compartment in grain receiving position, and means between the frame and the door of the said compartment for swinging and retaining the said door in closed position.

3. In a device for the purpose set forth, a pivotally supported weight influenced fra-me, and in which the weight therefor is adjustable, a spout carried by the frame, a

hopper having its lower portion centrally pivoted to the frame, said hopper being divided into two compartments, an adjustable board arranged centrally between the compartments and having a headed end engageable with the lower edge of the spout, an arcuate member at the mouth of the spout, a roller with which one end of the arcuate mem ber is contactable for holding the hopper to position one of its compartments to receive grain from the spout, and means for delivering grain into the spout, doors closing t-he outlet of both compartments, pivotally supported means on the frame for holding the door of the grain receiving compartment in open position and for likewise holding the door of the second compartment in open position, and said means designed to release the first mentioned door when the weight of the grain in the compartment therefor overbalances the frame and hopper to permit of the downward movement of the said frame and hopper to bring the segn'iental member out of engagement with the roller to permit of the swinging of the hopper incident to the weight of the grain therein to bring its second compartment to grain receiving position, to close the door of the last mentioned compartment and to likewise bring the second end of the segmental member into engagement with the roller.

4. In a device for the purpose set forth, a pivotally supported scale beam having an adjustable weight thereon, a frame to which the beam is pivotally connected, a hopper having its sides pivotally secured to the lower portion of the frame, flexible division boards in the hopper dividing the same into two compartments, a pivotally supported door having an angle inner end for closing each of the compartments, a link connection between the ends of the doors and the frame, a segmental member on the upper end of the hopper, a roller with which the ends of the said segn'iental member are engageable whereby to hold one of the compartments in grain receiving position, and means for delivering grain into said compartment and the door of the eon'ipartn'ient, incident to its link connection with the frame designed to be swung to closed position, while the door of the second compartment designed, by the linlr connected thereto to be swung to open position, means operable exteriorly of the hopper and connected to the confronting faces of the flexible partitions for bulging the same inwardly or for holding the same in straight positions, and an adjustable wiper board between the partitions, all as and for the 'purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

THOMAS DECKER, 

